Heirloom fruit and Vegetables
In the gardening world, heirloom veggies are all the rage, especially tomatoes and potatoes. But what is an heirloom anyway?
An heirloom is a plant that has not been hybridized and reproduces itself through open pollination. An Heirloom must be a plant – fruit or vegetable, that has been passed down through generations of gardeners with its genetics intact.
There is no clear consensus as to how long the plant has to been grown to be considered an heirloom. There are two dates that most people agree on for a plant to be an heirloom — 1945 or 1951. That is, the plant has to have been around at least this long.
The year 1945 marked the end of World War II and the start of industrialized agriculture. The year 1951 was the first year that widespread hybrid varieties were introduced to farmers and gardeners. It was these two years that forever changed farming and gardening in Europe and North America and marked an end to open pollination.
While the heirloom veggies are getting all the attention, I thought I would introduce you to another world of heirloom gardening: Fruits that are perfectly adapted to Wyoming conditions and which are vastly underutilized!
* The Fort Laramie strawberry was developed at the Cheyenne Horticulture Field Station around 1933. This is an ever-bearing strawberry with large and abundant red fruit. It is still recognized as one of the hardiest strawberries on the market. It is self-fertile.
* The McIntosh apple was developed in 1870 in Ontario, Canada. This is an apple that can be eaten out of hand or used in baking. The skin of this apple is bright red. It must have either a crabapple tree or another apple tree for pollination and fruit production.
* The Scout apricot was developed in Manitoba, Canada, in 1937. The fruit is bronze gold blushed with red and is used extensively for jams and jellies. It is still considered the gold standard as a pollinator for other apricots.
* The Crandall Clove currant was selected in the late 1880s by fruit growers for its ability to produce 3/4-inch black fruit with a spicy sweet flavor. It is self-fertile.
* The Montmorency cherry was grown in France in the 17th century and introduced to the Colonies in 1760. This is a prized tart cherry with large red fruit and perfect for pies and preserves. It is self-fertile.
* The Parker pear was developed in 1937 by the University of Minnesota. The fruit is yellow-bronze with fine grained flesh that is very juicy and sweet. It requires another pear for pollination and fruit production.
So while you’re reconnecting with the past and preserving the genetics of your plants through heirloom gardening, remember to add fruit to your garden pallet. There are literally hundreds of fruits available for the Wyoming gardener that can be considered heirloom.
Fruit with Bill & Sheila
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